Improved observatory



Urirran STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. B. SAWYER, OF CHARLESTOVV'N, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED OBSERVATORY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,680. dated October 9, 1366.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that l, LEMUEL B. SAWYER, of the city of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Observatories; and I do hereby declare that the following is a t'ull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation ot' the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center ofthe tower, car, and building. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line a. a of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through center of car, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the top ot' the tower with the roof or cap removed.

The subject-matter of my invention relates to the mode of constructing what I call a mechanical observatory,77 for raising persons and things to great heights in the open air, and for other similar purposes, and consists, in the first place, in the construction of a tower of as small diameter as practical to sustain the necessary weight, as will be described, and of the employment, in combination therewith, of an annular car which surrounds the tower, and is guided in its motion up and down by suitable rails attached to the tower, and a suitable hoisting apparatus, placed at or near the foot ot' the tower, for raising and lowering the car, with other subordinate devices, all co-operating in a manner that will be hereinafter described.

I construct the tower A of any suitable material, but, by preference, of plate-iron of suitable thickness, and of such a diameter at the top and base as will give the requisite strength and stability to sustain the required weight.

In the drawings the tower is shown with far less than its proportionate height, in order to bring the same within convenient limits; but it may be varied in height according to circumstances ot' location and the purpose for which it is to be used. It may be connected with a building, as represented in the drawings, or it may be erected entirely independent ot any building, as may be most convenient. To the outside of the tower are attached four vertical parallel guides, B, extending from top to bottom, and equidistant from each other, upon which the car C is guided in its upward and downward motion, as is shown.

The outer edges ot' the guides B are made in the form of ratchets, to be acted upon by suitable pawls or dogs (not shown) attached to the car, which, in case of accident to the hoisting apparatus, will engage with the ratchets and prevent the car from falling, in a mauner already employed in hoisting-machines. The top ot' the tower is surmounted by a substantial frame, D, in the form ot' a cross, made, by preference, of wrought-iron, and iirmly secured to the tower. Upon this frame are mounted four sheaves, b b b b, over which the wire ropes c c c c lead by which the ear is hoisted. The sheaves are ot' such diameter and so located that the ropes lead from their inward sides down inside ofthe tower. To the outer extremities of the frame D and outside of the sheaves b are attached the guys d d (l d, which are led oft and suitably anchored to the earth, by which the stability of the towcr is secured against the action of the wind. rlhe arms of the frame D, to which the guys cl are attached, project so far outward that when the car is raised up to the frame D the guys will not touch it, by which means nearly the whole height of the tower is made available. The frame D is surmounted by a light roof, E, suilicient to exclude the weather from the tower.

The car C is constructed ot' an annular form,

surrounding the tower, having an inner and' outer wall, as shown, the internal diameter ot' the central space being such as to come close to the tower when at the bottom, and the eX- ternal diameter such as circumstances may require. Upon the interior it is iitted with guides F F F F, which work upon the guides B B B B attached to the tower, and also with pawls to be operated by springs under the control of the suspension-ropes, which will engage with the notches in the guides B, in case the hoisting apparatus gives way, as is usual in hoistingmachines. The car is also iitted with seats and windows and other appliances for the comfort and safety of the passen gers. The suspension ropes c are attached to the car near the guides, and leadup and over the sheaves b bb b, and are attached to a heavy ring, G, within the tower, which serves as a counterpoise to the car.

From the lower side ot this ring two ropes, ff, more or less, lead down to the windingdrum H, by which the car is hoisted. This -drum may be placed at the bottom of the tower, as shown, or in any other convenient position, and the ropes ff led to it by suitable sheaves.

The winding-drum may be made in any ot the usual ways, and operated by steam or any suitable power; but, by preference, I actuate the winding-drum by a worm and gear, as being safer than any other mode known to me. The winding mechanism is also to be provided with a shipper for stopping and starting the same', worked by a cord leading through the car, and also worked automatically by the car itself when it reaches the top and bottom of the tower, as is usually done in a hoisting apparatus.

ille mode of operating this apparatus is as follows: The car being at the bottom ot' t`1e tower, the passengers or eii'ects are taken in and the door secured by the conductor. rlhe windinginachine is then put in operation by him by means ot' the shipper-cord, and the whole are raised to the top of the tower. After remaining as long as desired, the car is lowered by the conductor by reversing the motion of the hoisting mechanism by means of the shipper-mlm in the usual manner.

This apparatus is designed to be used more especially for raising persons to a height sufficient to overlook the surrounding country; but it may also be used for a shot-tower and other similar purposes in -an obvious manner, varying the construction of the car to the intended use.

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employment, in combination with a tower, ot" a car of an annular form working upon guides upon the exterior of the tower, and a hoisting apparatus for raising and lowering the car, substantially as described.

2. The employment, in combination with the tower, of the projecting arms of the frame D, to which the guys are attached, by which the car is permit-ted to rise to the top ot' the tower without coming-in contact with them,

substantially as described.

3. The annular counterpoise working within the tower, in combination with the annular car Working upon the exterior of the tower, substantially as described.

Executed at Boston this 24th day of July, 1866.

LEMUEL B. SAVYER. 'Vitnesses N. O. LOMBARD, O. WARREN BROWN. 

